Leaderboard

Yep. That was me. I have a picture of me holding the approximately dictionary-sized rock that came through the tent while I was sleeping at thumb rock and embedded itself in the snow about 12 inches above the top of my head. It would have killed me if it had been 18” lower. Weird waking up in a fully zipped up mountaineering tent due to a weird noise and looking up and seeing the night sky. Wait, aren’t I still in the tent?

Trip: Coleman Pinnacle - Standard Trip Date: 12/30/2025 Trip Report: It has been a slow start to the ski season. A very slow start. But despite the setbacks, I've managed to have a few good days the past several weeks up in the Baker backcountry. We're fortunate up this way in that our usual backcountry backyard emerged relatively accessible from the December Floods. US2 and 410 are quite so lucky. I've not been doing anything remarkable the past few weeks in the Baker backcountry, but I do have a new camera that I have been having fun getting to know and so why not post a few photos from the classic Coleman Pinnacle tour? This is an outing that I tend to come back to over the past 20 years or so, climbing it every 5 years or so if only for the views and the fun run down into Wells Creek. If you haven't been out that way.....you probably won't like it. Best to stay near town and reduce your carbon footprint. Sunrise from the parking lot: The classic view of Baker from Artist Point never gets old (to me): @Trent approaching the heli line: @Trent and Coleman Pinnacle: Der Shukshan: @Trent skinning up under Coleman Pinnacle: Summit of Coleman Pinnacle: Out to Chowder Ridge: Descending from the summit with Baker looming ahead: Ptarmigan in winter plumage down in Wells Creek: Windy on der Kulhsan: coming back up over Table on the way home: Shuksan is one of my favorites in the North Cascades: Sunset from the parking lot. As Ice Cube would say, "Today was a good day". Gear Notes: flotation, but please, leave the snowshoes at home. Approach Notes: Heather Meadows to Artist Point to alpine glory

We are not dead! That was extremely trying. The server totally crashed in a terrible way right in the middle of a super intense week at work for me and I was taxed mentally to the max figuring this out. Luckily I have a couple really good friends, ex-coworkers...but they are friends to give me moral support and confidence to do everything I did which was rebuild everything on modern software. So the site is in a MUCH better place than it was pre-crash. I still have a bunch of maintainance to do, but the site is back up and going. Thank you for sticking around. We WILL keep this place alive dammit.

Speaking of what we want to preserve on this site....this thread is a great read. Here's to you Mr. Stoddard!

22.5y ago, holy shit! Trip report from 2003

There were so many rocks littering the tent platform at Thumb Rock that I tunneled into the up hill side about 2' so at least my head would be protected during the night. We were in bivi sacks so even a small rock would've been exciting. Wasn't there a TR a while ago where someone had a rock come through their tent in the night at Thumb Rock?

The ledge is in good shape but the fly is undoubtedly no longer waterproof. Shoreline area.

Thank you Benjamin S!

On a road trip in Idaho and Montana and came across this hat in a thrift store in a little town in Montana when I stopped in to get some steak knifes. Got this and three steak knifes for $2. Thank you Steve and RIP.